1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-communicating method in which an image data communication is performed between an electronic mail apparatus and a facsimile apparatus, a facsimile type electronic mail apparatus in which a text obtained in an electronic computer originated mail is processed in the facsimile apparatus, and a facsimile apparatus in which facsimile data received in a facsimile is transmitted to an electronic mail apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An apparatus installed in an office has been recently connected with a local area network (LAN) to efficiently conduct business. For example, a facsimile is connected to the LAN to use the facsimile as a printer. Also, a text or letter prepared in a personal computer is transmitted to a facsimile through the LAN. In a Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. H7-143309 (1995), an apparatus in which a text prepared in a personal computer is transmitted by an electronic computer originated mail (hereinafter, called an electronic mail) to a facsimile apparatus through an LAN is proposed.
Also, a facsimile apparatus in which a facsimile is connected with the LAN and image data transmitted from the facsimile is transmitted to a destination by an electronic mail through the LAN is proposed. As an example, a facsimile apparatus connecting an integrated services digital network (ISDN) and an LAN is proposed in a Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. H6-164645 (1994), and image data transmitted through the ISDN is transmitted to an address of an electronic mail indicated by a sub-address of the ISDN.
2.1. Previously Proposed Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conventional facsimile apparatus in which an electronic mail is utilized.
As shown in FIG. 1, a facsimile apparatus 100 is composed of a central processing unit (CPU) 101 for controlling the facsimile apparatus 100, a read only memory (ROM) 102 for storing a program, a random access memory (RAM) 103 for storing data used for the program, a panel unit 107 for inputting an instruction indicating the transmission of data, a LAN control unit 109 for controlling the transmission of text data to a LAN or the reception of text data from the LAN, a character-to-image converting unit 120 for converting the text data of an electronic mail transmitted through the LAN to image data, a compressing and expanding unit 108 for compressing or expanding the image data obtained by the character-to-image converting unit 120, a facsimile communicating unit 113 for transmitting the image data compressed by the compressing and expanding unit 108 to a telephone line or receiving image data from the telephone line, a scanning unit 111 for reading a manuscript to obtain image data, and a printing unit 110 for printing the image data obtained by the character-to-image converting unit 120 or the scanning unit 111.
In the above configuration of the facsimile apparatus 100, an operation for receiving an electronic mail and transmitting the electronic mail to a facsimile is described.
When an electronic mail transmitted through the LAN is received by the LAN control unit 109, a text of the electronic mail is converted into image data by the character-to-image converting unit 120, and the image data is compressed by the compressing and expanding unit 108. Thereafter, a facsimile number written in a destination box of the electronic mail is read out by the facsimile communicating unit 113, and the compressed image data is transmitted from the facsimile communicating unit 113 to an address indicated by the facsimile number through the telephone line.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conventional facsimile apparatus in which facsimile data received through a telephone line is transmitted to an address of an electronic mail.
As shown in FIG. 2, a facsimile apparatus 120 is composed of a CPU 121 for controlling the facsimile apparatus 120, a ROM 122 for storing a program, a RAM 123 for storing data used for the program, a facsimile data receiving and transmitting unit 124 for receiving facsimile data transmitted through a telephone line or transmitting facsimile data to the telephone line; a format converting unit 125 for converting a format in the facsimile data received by the facsimile data receiving and transmitting unit 124 to a format of an electronic mail to obtain electronic mail data, and an LAN controlling unit 126 for receiving an electronic mail transmitted through an LAN or transmitting the electronic mail data obtained in the format converting unit 125.
In the above configuration of the facsimile apparatus 120, when facsimile data transmitted from a transmitting side through the telephone line-is received in the facsimile data receiving and transmitting unit 124, an address of an electronic mail is retrieved according to a number of a sub-address of the ISDN by using a corresponding table of registered numbers and mail addresses, the facsimile data is converted to electronic mail data by the format converting unit 125, and the electronic mail data is transmitted to a receiving side placed at the address of the electronic mail through the LAN controlling unit 126.
2.2. Problems to be Solved by the Invention
However, in the facsimile apparatus 100 according to a first prior art, because a text of the electronic mail is converted into the image data and is transmitted to a facsimile, in cases where a paper size treated on a transmitting side differs from that treated on a receiving side, the text of the electronic mail cannot be transmitted to the facsimile because a paper size adjustment cannot be performed.
Also, because any user can use the facsimile apparatus 100 as a relay unit relaying from the LAN to the facsimile, an owner of the facsimile apparatus 100 is required to pay a communication fee even though another person uses the facsimile apparatus 100 as a relay unit. Therefore, there is a probability that the facsimile apparatus 100 is against owner""s interests.
Also, in cases where a transmission error occurs in the facsimile apparatus 100, a user who transmits an electronic mail to a facsimile cannot know the occurrence of the transmission error.
In the facsimile apparatus 120 according to a second prior art, in cases where a transmission error of the electronic mail occurs, the facsimile apparatus 120 cannot inform the facsimile of the transmitting side that the transmission error occurs. Therefore, a sender cannot know whether or not a manuscript read by the facsimile is correctly transmitted to the receiving side.
A first object of the present invention is to provide, with due consideration to the drawbacks of such a conventional facsimile apparatus, an image communicating method and a facsimile type electronic mail apparatus in which a communication between a transmitting side and a receiving side is performed even though a paper size treated on the transmitting side differs from that treated on the receiving side. Also, the first object is to provide an image communicating method in which the facsimile type electronic mail apparatus is not used by a person other than an owner without permission. Also, the first object is to provide an image communicating method and a facsimile type electronic mail apparatus in which a user who transmits an electronic mail to a facsimile can know the occurrent of a transmission error.
A second object of the present invention is to provide a facsimile apparatus which informs a transmitting side of the occurrence of a transmitting error in cases where the transmitting error of an electronic mail occurs.
The first object is achieved by the provision of an image communicating method, comprising the steps of:
producing image data indicating a particular image written in a particular paper of a particular paper size on a transmitting side;
transmitting the image data from the transmitting side to a receiving side by an electronic mail through an internet;
judging whether or not the particular paper size of the image data received on the receiving side is larger than a prescribed paper size treatable on the receiving side;
adjusting the image data on the receiving side to reproduce the particular image on a paper having the prescribed paper size in cases where the particular paper, size is larger than the prescribed paper size; and
printing the particular image on a prescribed paper of the prescribed paper size according to the adjusted image data on the receiving side.
The first object is also achieved by the provision of a facsimile type electronic mail apparatus; comprising:
reading means for reading a particular image written in a particular paper of a particular paper size on a transmitting side to produce image data at a particular image resolution;
transmitting and receiving means for transmitting the image data produced by the reading means by an electronic mail on the transmitting side and receiving the image data through an internet on a receiving side;
judging means for judging whether or not the particular paper size of the image data received by the transmitting and receiving means is larger than a prescribed paper size treatable on the receiving side;
adjusting means for adjusting the image data on the receiving side to produce adjusted image data indicating a downsized particular image reproducible on a paper of the prescribed paper size in cases where it is judged by the judging means that the particular paper size is larger than the prescribed paper size; and
printing means for printing the downsized particular image on a prescribed paper of the prescribed paper size according to the adjusted image data produced by the adjusting means on the receiving side.
In the above steps or the configuration, even though the particular paper size of a paper used on the transmitting side cannot be treated on the receiving side, because the image data is adjusted to reproduce the particular image on a paper having a prescribed paper size treatable on the receiving side, the particular image can be printed on a prescribed paper having the prescribed paper size.
The first object is also achieved by the provision of an image communicating method, comprising the steps of:
communicating between a transmitting side and a receiving side through an internet to transmit a prescribed page size treatable on the receiving side from the receiving side to the transmitting side;
judging whether or not a particular paper size of a particular paper used on the transmitting side is larger than the prescribed paper size;
optically downsizing a particular image written in the particular paper on the transmitting side to reproduce the particular image on a paper of the prescribed paper size in cases where the particular paper size is larger than the prescribed paper size;
producing image data indicating the downsized particular image on the transmitting side;
transmitting the image data from the transmitting side to the receiving side by an electronic mail through the internet; and
printing the particular image on a prescribed paper of the prescribed paper size according to the image data on the receiving side.
The first object is also achieved by the provision of a facsimile type electronic mail apparatus, comprising:
control means for controlling the communication between a transmitting side and a receiving side through an internet to transmit a prescribed page size treatable on the receiving side from the receiving side to the transmitting side and judging whether or not a particular paper size of a particular paper used on the transmitting side is larger than the prescribed paper size;
image downsizing means for optically downsizing a particular image of a manuscript written in the particular paper on the transmitting side to produce a downsized image reproducible on a paper of the prescribed paper size in cases where it is judged by the control means that the particular paper size is larger than the prescribed paper size;
reading means for reading the downsized image to produce image data indicating the downsized image on the transmitting side;
transmitting and receiving means for transmitting the image data produced by the reading means by an electronic mail on the transmitting side and receiving the image data through an internet on a receiving side; and
printing means for printing the downsized image on a prescribed paper of the prescribed paper size on the receiving side according to the image data transmitted by the transmitting and-receiving means.
In the above steps or configuration, a prescribed page size treatable on the receiving side is transmitted to the transmitting side in advance, and a particular image written in a particular paper of a particular paper size is optically downsized on the transmitting side to reproduce the particular image on a paper of the prescribed paper size. Therefore, even though the particular paper size cannot be treated on the receiving side, the particular image can be reproduced on the receiving side.
The first object is also achieved by the provision of an image communicating method, comprising the steps of:
inputting a pass-word corresponding to a receiving side on a transmitting side;
ciphering the pass-word on the transmitting side; producing image data indicating a particular image written
in a particular paper on the transmitting side; adding the ciphered pass-word to the image data on the transmitting side;
transmitting the image data from the transmitting side to the receiving side by an electronic mail through an internet;
deciphering the ciphered pass-word added to the image data eon the receiving side;
judging on the receiving side whether or not the deciphered pass-word agrees with a prescribed pass-word peculiar to the receiving side; and
transmitting the image data to a facsimile to reproduce the particular image in cases where the deciphered pass-word agrees with the prescribed pass-word.
The first object is also achieved by the provision of a facsimile type electronic mail apparatus, comprising:
inputting means for inputting a pass-word corresponding to a receiving side on a transmitting side;
reading means for reading a particular image written in a particular paper of a particular paper size to produce image
data indicating the particular image on the transmitting side; ciphering means for ciphering the pass-word input by the inputting means on the transmitting side to produce a ciphered pass-word and adding the ciphered pass-word to the image data produced by the reading means on the transmitting side;
transmitting and receiving means for transmitting the image data produced by the reading means by an electronic mail on the transmitting side and receiving the image data through an internet on a receiving side;
deciphering means for extracting the ciphered pass-word added to the image data and deciphering the ciphered pass-word on the receiving side to produce a deciphered pass-word;
judging means for judging on the receiving side whether or not the deciphered pass-word agrees with a prescribed pass-word peculiar to the receiving side; and
facsimile communicating means for transmitting the image data received by the transmitting and receiving means to a facsimile to reproduce the particular image in cases where it is judged by the judging means that the deciphered pass-word agrees with the prescribed pass-word.
In the above steps or configuration, because the ciphered pass-word is transmitted from the transmitting side to the receiving side and the facsimile transmission of the image data is performed in cases where the deciphered pass-word agrees with a prescribed pass-word peculiar to the receiving side, there is no probability that the facsimile transmission is performed for a wrong purpose by an unspecified person to be against owner""s interests.
The first object is also achieved by the provision of an image communicating method, comprising the steps of:
inputting print data which is reproducible in a particular paper and is transmitted from a terminal to a transmitting side through a local area network;
inserting both an electronic mail address indicating an error information receiving apparatus and a facsimile number indicating a facsimile into the print data on the transmitting side;
transmitting the print data from the transmitting side to a receiving side through an internet;
analyzing the print data on the receiving side to extract the facsimile number;
transmitting the print data to the facsimile indicated by the facsimile number to output the print data;
judging whether or not an error occurs in the transmission of the print data to the facsimile;
analyzing the print data on the receiving side to extract the electronic mail address in cases where an error occurs in the transmission of the print data to the facsimile; and
informing the error information receiving apparatus indicated by the electronic mail address that the error occurs, by an electronic mail through the local net work.
The first object is also achieved by the provision of a facsimile type electronic mail apparatus, comprising:
inputting means for inputting print data which is reproducible in a particular paper and is transmitted from a terminal to a transmitting side through a local area network;
inserting means for inserting both an electronic mail address indicating an error information receiving apparatus and a facsimile number indicating a facsimile into the print data prepared by the preparing means on the transmitting side;
transmitting and receiving means for transmitting the print data, in which the electronic mail address and the facsimile number are inserted by the inserting means, by an electronic mail on the transmitting side and receiving the print data through an internet on a receiving side;
print data analyzing means for analyzing the print data received by the transmitting and receiving means on the receiving side to extract the facsimile number and the electronic mail address from the print data;
facsimile communicating means for transmitting the print data to the facsimile, which is indicated by the facsimile number extracted by the print data analyzing means, to output the print data;
control means for judging whether or not an error occurs in the transmission of the print data performed by the facsimile communicating means and informing the error information receiving apparatus, which is indicated by the electronic mail address extracted by the print data analyzing means, of the occurrence of an error by an electronic mail through the local net work in cases where the error occurs in the transmission of the print data to the facsimile.
In the above steps or configuration, the print data prepared by using a terminal such as a personal computer can be transmitted to the facsimile through the transmitting and receiving sides. Also, even though an error occurs in the facsimile transmission, the occurrence of the error can be immediately informed the error information receiving apparatus by an electronic mail.
The second object is achieved by the provision of a facsimile apparatus, comprising:
facsimile data receiving means for receiving facsimile data from a facsimile of a transmitter;
recognizing means for recognizing identification information of the transmitter and a receiver""s electronic mail address which are written in the facsimile data received by the facsimile data receiving means;
mail address generating means for generating a transmitter""s electronic mail address uniquely specifying the transmitter;
storing means for storing a set of the transmitters electronic mail address generated by the mail address generating means, the identification information of the transmitter recognized by the recognizing means and the receiver""s electronic mail address recognized by the recognizing means in correspondence to each other;
first changing means for changing the facsimile data received by the facsimile data receiving means to a transmitter""s electronic mail and inserting the transmitters electronic mail address generated by the mail address generating means into the transmitter""s electronic mail;
electronic mail transmitting and receiving means for transmitting the transmitter""s electronic mail changed by the first changing means to a receiver specified by the receiver""s electronic mail address recognized by the recognizing means through an internet and receiving a receiver""s electronic mail which denotes a reply or error information for the transmitter""s electronic mail and is transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter""s electronic mail address inserted into the transmitter""s electronic mail through the internet;
reading means for reading the identification information of the transmitter from the storing means according to the transmitter""s electronic mail address of the receiver""s electronic mail received by the electronic mail transmitting and receiving means;
second changing means for changing the receiver""s electronic mail received by the electronic mail transmitting and receiving means to receiver""s facsimile data; and
facsimile data transmitting means for transmitting the receiver""s facsimile data changed by the second changing means to the facsimile of the transmitter specified by the identification information of the transmitter read by the reading means.
In the above configuration, a transmitter prepares facsimile data in which identification information specifying the transmitter and a receiver""s electronic mail address are included. Thereafter, when the facsimile data is received by the facsimile data receiving means, the identification information and the receiver""s electronic mail address are recognized by the recognizing means, and a transmitter""s electronic mail address is generated by the mail address generating means. Also, a set of the transmitter""s electronic mail address, the identification information and the receiver""s electronic mail address is stored in the storing means in correspondence to each other. Thereafter, the facsimile data is changed to a transmitter""s electronic mail by the first changing means and the transmitter""s electronic mail address is inserted into the transmitter""s electronic mail, and the transmitter""s electronic mail is transmitted to a receiver specified by the receiver""s electronic mail address through an internet.
Thereafter, when a receiver""s electronic mail transmitted from the receiver to the transmitter""s electronic mail address as a reply or error information for the transmitter""s electronic mail is received by the electronic mail transmitting and receiving means, the identification information of the transmitter is read from the storing means according to the transmitter""s electronic mail address by the reading means, the receiver""s electronic mail is changed to receiver""s facsimile data by the second changing means, and the receiver""s facsimile data is transmitted to the transmitter specified by the identification information of the transmitter by the facsimile data transmitting means.
Accordingly, even though an error occurs in the transmission of the transmitter""s electronic mail, the error can be reliably informed the transmitter because the transmitter""s electronic mail address is generated by the mail address generating means and the transmitter is uniquely specified by the transmitter""s electronic mail address.
The second object is also achieved by the provision of a facsimile apparatus, comprising:
facsimile data receiving means for receiving facsimile data from a facsimile of a transmitter;
recognizing means for recognizing a transmitter""s electronic mail address and a receiver""s electronic mail address which are written in the facsimile data received by the facsimile data receiving means;
changing means for changing the facsimile data received by the facsimile data receiving means to a transmitter""s electronic mail and inserting the transmitter""s electronic mail address recognized by the recognizing means into the transmitter""s electronic mail; and
electronic mail transmitting means for transmitting the transmitter""s electronic mail changed by the changing means to a receiver specified by the receiver""s electronic mail address recognized by the recognizing means through an internet to receive a receiver""s electronic mail denoting a reply or error information for the transmitter""s electronic mail in a terminal unit specified by the transmitter""s electronic mail address inserted into the transmitter""s electronic mail address by the changing means.
In the above configuration, because a transmitter""s electronic mail having a transmitter""s electronic mail address is transmitted to the receiver, the receiver can directly send a receiver""s electronic mail denoting a reply or error information for the transmitter""s electronic mail to a terminal unit of the transmitter.